They start with Ninja Turtles animation. Pablo Helman, a visual-effects supervisor who worked on the Star Wars prequels, appears onscreen and shows Bay the latest version of Krang, a new-to-the-movies villain who is, essentially, a disembodied brain inside a giant robot. "So we've eliminated the tentacles," Helman explains. "Is it too monster-ish?"

"He could have some tentacles," says Bay. "I just don't want them coming out of the side. He looks like a stupid octopus."